Five closure orders were served on food businesses across the country in March.
New figures from the Food Safety Authority show premises in Wexford, Roscommon, Cork and Cavan were shut down amid fears over their standards of food safety.
A prohibition order was issued on a premises on Patrick Street in Cork.
Officials said it is disappointing that the figures for March recorded a notable increase in problems, and they said there is no excuse for businesses to be ignorant to what they should be doing to protect consumer health.